Did Lil Nas X Change His Name to Montero?
Most fans know the āOld Town Roadā artist by his stage name ā Lil Nas X. This artist recently released an album titled after his birth name Montero. Hereās what we know about this performer and the meaning behind his given name.
Lil Nas X is the artist behind songs like āOld Town Road,ā āThatās What I Want,ā and āDead Right Nowā
Heās a self-proclaimed ācountry trap rapperā who highlights black LGBTQ cowboy culture with his music. The āOld Town Roadā remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus earned the Grammy Award for Best Music Video.Ā
He also makes fans laugh with videos posted on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Recently, the performer debuted his album, Montero.
āI feel like weāve come to a time in music where everything is nice, and nothing is really cutting edge or starting conversations anymore,ā he said during an interview with TIME. āI want to be part of a conversation that actually applies to my situation and so many people that I know.ā
Montero is Lil Nas Xās real nameĀ
This artist releases music under the name āLil Nas X.ā Of course, thatās not actually his birth name. While on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, this musician gave his stage name an official backstory.Ā
āWhen I started doing music, I was like, āI want to have fun with this,āā he said. āAnd every new rapperās name is Lil, Lil, Lil. āWhat if I was Lil Nas? Thatād be funny.ā So I was like, āAll right, bet. Iāll be Lil Nas.ā And I added the X later on.ā
According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, this rapperās birth name was inspired by a car, a Mitsubishi Montero, which his mother always wanted but never had. Itās this name that inspired his album title Montero, as well as the track āMontero (Call Me By Your Name).ā However, this artist did not officially change his stage name to his real name.Ā
Lil Nas X performed at the 2020 Grammy Awards
Since bursting onto the music scene, Lil Nas X earned several awards and global recognition. On his debut album, Lil Nas X featured award-winning artists like Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Doja Cat. āMontero (Call Me By Your Name)ā earned over a billion Spotify plays since its debut.Ā
āI grew up in a pretty religious kind of homeāand for me, it was fear-based very much,ā he said during the TIME interview. āEven as a little child, I was really scared of every single mistake I may or may not have made. I want kids growing up feeling these feelings, knowing theyāre a part of the LGBTQ community, to feel like theyāre O.K. and they donāt have to hate themselves.ā
Fans can catch up with this artist thanks to his social media platforms. Music by Lil Nas X, including his recently released album Montero, is available on most major music streaming platforms.Ā